Growing vegetables

Preparation

Good preparation of the soil is the key to a successful vegetable garden. Before you plant, dig in plenty of well-rotted soil conditioner or compost. You can make your own compost in a compost bin or heap.

If you want to get a head start at the beginning of the year, lay some horticultural fleece over the soil to warm it up a little before planting.

Sowing seeds

Seeds are often sown in a prepared seed bed and then the plants are moved on when they are big enough.

Some seeds such as carrots and radish are sown directly into the ground where they are to grow.

At Southbrae, we have a fox who regularly visits and loves to dig! So, all our vegetable plants are started off in the greenhouse before planting out.

When transplanting young plants, try to disturb the roots as little as possible so that you don’t check the growth.

Crop Rotation

If possible, you should rotate your crops whenever you can. This means that you should not grow the same type of crop on the same bed for two years running.

Potatoes in particular should be moved around your garden or allotment each year and you should try to have the longest time possible between returning potatoes to the same bed.

Crop rotation is also very important in the prevention of pests and diseases. Some pests are specific to certain crops and will build up in concentrated numbers if you keep supplying them with their favourite crop. The same is so for diseases.

You can find out more about crop rotation and view some sample rotation plans on our website.

Companion Planting

Companion planting is the term used for growing different plants close to each other because they will have a beneficial effect on your crop. Companion plants are used to attract bees for pollination, to deter pests and diseases or to attract pests away from your crops.

Some companion plants to try are:

Carrot root fly is attracted to the smell of carrots so growing onions near to carrots may mask the scent.

Marigolds will also attract hoverflies which in turn eat aphids. Dill and fennel is good for attracting ladybirds.

Slugs are said to prefer marigolds so growing them close to lettuce may attract them away from your lettuce.

Caterpillars are said to prefer nasturtiums so grow them close to cabbages to draw the caterpillars away.

It is always a good idea to sow a mixed pack of annuals near to your vegetable plot as this will attract bees and butterflies to vegetable and fruit plants which are insect pollinated.

Top Tips

If you haven’t got a lot of space, grow the fruit and vegetables that are a little more expensive to buy. That way you get the best value for money.

Try growing potatoes in a bag. A strong plastic bag such as one used for compost is ideal. Fill the bag to one third with compost, place 3 or 4 seed potatoes on top and cover with compost.

You can grow some varieties of cherry tomatoes in a hanging basket. Try growing with basil and lettuce for the perfect combination.

For a longer cropping period, you can cover some of your strawberry plants with plastic tunnels or cloches. The strawberries under plastic should crop a little sooner than the rest.

If you have persistent weeds like mare’s tail, try planting your vegetables through a weed suppressant membrane.